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HAVE YOUR SAY: Pothole plague hits drivers in the pocket

Drivers are having to pay out hundreds of pounds on car repairs because of the state of Workington’s roads, according to local garage owners.

ROAD WORK: Potholes such as these on Workington’s Guard Street, which are due to be repaired next week, have been causing misery and expense for motorists

They say there has been an increase in demand for pothole-related repairs such as broken springs and buckled wheels.

David Holmes, owner of S3 Customs, in St Johns Court, Workington, said he had noticed an increase in pothole-related repairs over the last six months.

They had included buckled wheels, which can cost between a few hundred to a thousand pounds to replace.

He said: “There are a lot of buckled wheels and people coming in to get their tyres balanced but it makes it difficult when their wheels are buckled.

“The roads are a disgrace. It is costing people a lot of money.”

Neil Bower, owner of Bowers Garage, Clay Flatts, said he had seen a lot more broken springs in the past year.

He said: “I live in Seaton and it is terrible on the road around the Royal Oak. It is like driving over a ploughed field.”

Daniel Rooke, owner of D and L Autobodies, in Lowther Road, said: “We have seen an increase in damage to shock absorbers and springs, and everyone is saying the roads are getting a lot worse.”

He added that springs and shock absorbers can cost between £180 and £250.

Guard Street, one of the worst for potholes and a main route into the town, will be closed from Tuesday for resurfacing work.

The work, between Park End Road and the mini-roundabout on Harrington Road, is being carried out by Connect Roads on behalf of the county council.

A council spokesman said that further resurfacing work was planned on Newlands Lane and Main Street in Seaton during the summer.

He added that Guard Street had been identified as a high priority by Connect and the work was scheduled to be completed quickly to coincide with the school holidays.

Workington MP Tony Cunningham said: “I welcome the resurfacing work but I hope it is the first in a long line of investment in roads.

“I don’t think I have seen them as bad as this in a considerable time.

“People are paying their road tax, high fuel prices and the least they can expect is some decent roads.”

On top of the cost of damage to a vehicle, motorcyclists have the added risk of being unseated by uneven surfaces.

Anne Crayston, of West Cumbria Motorcycle Action Group, said the group tried to tackle the issue by asking its members to fill in road hazard cards which highlighted particularly dangerous areas. These are sent to the council, which is lobbied by the group if no improvement is seen within a month.

She said: “Some of the potholes are very dangerous. If you try to change direction to avoid them you can under or over steer, making it unstable.”

Steve Palmer, owner of Cumbria Motorcycle and Driving Training, on Harrington Road, said: “The sooner they get some of them fixed the better.

“It is not just the potholes but the loose gravel that comes out of them that can be as much of a problem.”

The council spokesman said that regular inspections were carried out on the roads to identify any defects.

Have your say

motorists should be careful when going overtaking cyclists and motorcyclists they have to avoid the potholes so could change direction at short notice give them a bit more space behind and when passing. There have been several people knocked off their bikes around the country by cars and other vehicles because of potholes

Posted by albert on
12 April 2012 at 12:57

There are few roads where a decent surface is in existence, some that have broken surfaces and small lumps and bumps but the majority seem to have pot holes, bad/bodged repairs and generally are degrading badly due to neglect and lack of any kind of regular maintenance. Our roads are in a shocking condition, non of our local councils seem to care and things are getting worse, I have been riding motorbikes for over 10 years and its got worse since I started and especially over the last 2 or 3 years its got very bad very quickly it needs sorted before its the cause of a fatality which is when things usually get done.